FTSE 100 seen lower as markets look ahead to interest rate calls

FTSE 100 expected to open lower on Monday ahead of a busy week of central bank announcements from the ECB, the Bank of England and the Federal Reserve.

Spread betting companies are calling the lead index down by around 21 points.

US stocks finished the trading week lower on Friday after hotter-than-expected producer price index data for November sparked further Federal Reserve interest rate hike fears.

At the close, the Dow lost 305 points to 33,476, while the S&P 500 eased 29 points at 3,934 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 77 points to 11,005.

“This late Friday slide in the US looks set to weigh on today’s European open” said Michael Hewson chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK.

“We have an absolute avalanche of data announcements this week not only from the US, but also the UK, starting today with the latest monthly GDP numbers for October, as well as industrial and manufacturing production numbers, which are expected to show that the UK economy is in a poor state of health, despite low levels of unemployment” noted Hewson.